Pad Thai

1/2 package Thai rice noodles

Soak noodles in lukewarm water for 5-10 minutes. They should be somewhat flexible and solid.

4 teaspoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 scant tablespoon tamarind extract/concentrate, or 2 tablespoons tamarind pulp

1 teaspoon Sriracha hot chili sauce

Mix fish sauce, sugar, tamarind, and chili in a small bowl and set aside.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons peanuts (optional)

1/3 cup extra firm tofu, chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 shallot, minced

1 tablespoon preserved turnip (optional)

1 egg

green onions, chopped 1inch or smaller

1/4 - 1/2 pound cooked shrimp (optional)

1 1/3 cup bean sprouts

Heat oil in a wok, or large pot. Fry peanuts until toasted, and remove them from the pot.

Add shallot, garlic, and tofu to the oil. Stir until they start to brown. Add noodles (stirring quickly so stir-fry doesn't stick). Add sauce mixture. Add preserved turnip. If there is a lot of liquid in the pot, turn up the heat. Make room for the egg by pushing the other stuff to one side. Add egg and scramble (combining into noodles once set). Stir in shrimp. Add half of the bean sprouts, stir. Add green onions, stir.

Remove to serving plate, and sprinkle with peanuts. Serve lime wedges, raw green onions, and fresh bean sprouts on the side.

Note: this dish is very tasty without peanuts too.

Chicken Satay

turmeric*

ground pepper

cumin

chicken breast (sliced into strips)

coconut milk

plain yogurt

lime juice

*Wear gloves when working with turmeric, unless you want diseased-looking, yellow fingernails.

Mix together turmeric, cumin, and ground pepper. Coat the chicken strips in the spice mixture (I like to rub it in). Mix together coconut milk, yogurt, lime juice, and a little more turmeric in the marinading vessel. Add chicken pieces so that they are submerged. Marinade for a couple of hours, or overnight.

If cooking inside, sear the strips in a pan and transfer to a baking dish to finish in the oven (20 minutes or so at 450F).

If grilling, thread the strips on bamboo skewers (make sure your skewers were soaked in water for at least 30 minutes) and grill on charcoal.

Serve with peanut butter dip.

Thai Peanut Butter Dipping Sauce

Small amount of cooking oil

Squeezed garlic cloves

Peanut butter (prefer natural stuff, for that ground peanut effect)

Coconut milk

Ground ginger

Soy sauce

Sriracha hot chili sauce (red rooster yo!)

Honey

Molasses

Tamarind goo

Sesame seed oil

Fish sauce (optional)

Heat small amount of oil in small sauce pan. Saute the squeezed (indeed, extruded) garlic. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO NOT BROWN THE GARLIC. Just saute. Just gently, sweetly saute.

Keeping the pan on very low heat, add the peanut butter and coconut milk. Use one of these http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50082654 to stir. Add all the other ingredients to taste. If oil starts to separate, take the pan off the heat and use the thickening/sauce whisk to incorporate it back in.

This stuff is delicious for satay or on noodles.